MySecretGarden

U.S.A., Washington State. USDA zone 8b. Sunset climate zone 5

Revisiting Hidcote Manor Garden

I continue revisiting the best world gardens which I was able to tour in May some time ago. 
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After visiting Lawrence Johnston's Jardin Serre de la Madone outside Menton, France (post is HERE), I knew that I must see his other garden, Hidcote Manor Garden in England. I did it recently, on May 12th 2015.
As it became usual for my blog, there are more pictures than words in my posts, and you know the reason - life is bigger than blogging, especially now, in May, when your own garden calls, and in my case when my two sons are almost ready to leave the nest, and you want to spend as much time with them as possible.
National Trust's Hidcote Manor Garden  information  is here.


I won't retell the history of Hidcote Manor Garden, and I am avoiding the discussion of how much the garden that we see today is actually the garden Major Johnston had in mind. I am also refraining from comparing privately owned and run-by-trusts gardens.
During my visit, I just tried to satisfy my curiosity about this famous garden, enjoy it, learn lessons  and get some ideas for my own garden.

 It's true that May is a good month for a visit. There were several tour buses, but I always could catch a moment when I was alone in one of the garden rooms.
The route. I rode a train from Paddington station in London to Honeybourne, then took a taxi to the garden (as recommended online, I reserved it in advance). I did the way back from the Garden to Honeybourne by foot, but I don't recommend it to you - it's 4,8 miles.
The pictures are not in any particular order, although I tried to follow room after room. It wasn't always possible, since I'd move to another room if I saw nobody there.


Courtyard



Several excerpts I used are from the book which I found last year at the estate sale, The National Trust Guide to England, Wales, and Northern Ireland (1984).
"The essence of Hidcote is the combination of formal design with seemingly haphazard or informal planting which is the archetype of a whole style of 20-century gardens.
It is the highly sophisticated creation of an expert plantsman with an architect's ability to create a structure of interesting spaces; likewise, it has been an inspiration to modern gardeners, exerting in our time a profound influence.
Hidcote may be said to have been founded on the tenets of Gertrude Jekyll but it is also based on the traditional cottage garden, where plants of interest and beauty have been grown through several centuries little affected by changing fashions in grander places."





"Apart from the pleasant 17th- century house, a few walls, a cedar and a clump of big beeches, there was nothing at Hidcote when Major Lawrence Johnston acquired it.
The garden was created from 1905 onward. Though covering eleven acres, and high on the Coltswolds, it is sheltered from cold winds.
The soil, mainly lime, has acid pockets, as is common in the district, and this acidity was increased by importing suitable soil and rotted sawdust."



Old Garden


I love the plants supports that I find in English gardens. 
They are made from natural materials and blend wonderfully with plants.

































Maple Garden




White Garden wasn't in its best shape.


The Circle




I don't know about other months, but in May, the Red Borders with tulips and crimson foliage were looking good. I read that the performers of hot months include dahlia, salvia (microphylla, elegans, fulgens), canna (indica, King Humbert), verbena Lawrence Johnston, cordyline.






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Winter Border








Stilt Garden  which, they say, reflects Lawrence Johnston's love to France







Alpine Terrace




Pillar Garden. Yews






































Upper Stream Garden, Lower Stream Garden and Central Stream Garden 
got me overwhelmed, in a good sense.  If to choose one word to describe them, it probably will be lushness.











Fuchsia garden









"Wall of hedges - the latter of many kinds, one being a mixture or 'tapestry' hedge - enclose numerous separate gardens, each one different in design from the next, each planted with a careful selection of shrubs and plants to provide flower from spring to autumn, and each with a distinctive colour scheme.
The main vista moves from quiet colours by the house, enters a rondpoint of lilacs and hellebores, then passes between borders of reddish-tinted and copper foliage up steps to a pair of gazebos, and on, flanked by hornbeam hedges on stems and by beds of grasses, to the great gates which give a view of the open countryside.
A series of such changes and surprises is provided throughout the garden, not the least being the change from the formal enclosures near the house to the informal stream garden, which has its own colour schemes, and so up slopes to the 'Westonbirt' area, also entirely informal."
( The Nationsl Trust Guide to England, Wales,  and Nothern Ireland (1984).


Long Walk between the hedges of hornbeam toward the horizon








I had my snack on this bench. Nobody was around, and the views of countryside could take my breath away.





Bathing pool





Italian Shelter






Poppy Garden














'Plant only the best forms of any plant' (Lawrence Johnston)














Mrs. Winthrop's Garden was created with a Mediterranean theme.



Lawrence Johnston and Frank Adams in Mrs. Winthrop's garden. 1927.
Image from  National trust website
The gardener is buried next to his mother in Mickleton, a village not far from Hidcote Manor Garden..
I passed Mickleton  on my way to the train station, but unfortunately wasn't able to stop this time.





















Pine Garden and Lily Pond





Plant House














Beech Allee


The following are random pictures from different parts of the garden


























































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What I liked the most about the garden and what I'd love to use in my own garden: lush abundant borders, close planting (no place for weeds!), using ordinary, familiar plants in striking color combinations, spaces where an eye can relax after observing overfull areas, using evergreens in borders, mixing shrubs with perennials and using topiary.
Last year, I visited Sissinghurst. This year, it was Hidcote.
Which one did I like more?
Let's not compare....
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I hope you enjoyed the pictures.
Originally posted  HERE


***Copyright 2021 TatyanaS

11 comments:

  1. Gorgeous! I wish I could travel there right now. :)

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    Replies
    1. Thank you! Beth, me too, me too! I have very good memories about this garden.

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  2. Благодарю тебя, Татьяна, что напоминаешь. Твои фото лучшие и хочется нырнуть в каждый кадр и там навеки поселиться.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Спасибо, Галя! Там было очень хорошо. Мне даже не верится, что удалось каким-то образом избежать большого потока гостей. А растений много самых обычных, только искусно скомпанованных.

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  3. My goodness, it's very epitome of a typical English garden. Not sure I've ever seen one so amazing.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Robin! So many good and doable ideas there, don't you think so? :)

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  4. wow is very beautyfull....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for taking time to write a comment! I'm glad you like it. I think it's an incredible garden!

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  5. What fabulous photos of a garden that I thought I knew well but now realise there are many secret corners that I have yet to discover. I'm lucky enough to earn my living from gardening here in the Cotswolds and not that far from Hidcote. Did you also manage to visit Kiftsgate Gardens which is within walking distance from Hidcote? It is of a very different style but equally beautiful. I have only just found your blog and am so glad that I have! I am looking forward to exploring more of your photos and writing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well, if an English man likes my photos of an English garden, it's a big honor for me :)! Thank you John for your kind words, they are highly appreciated!
      I should admit that I always take lots of pictures (maybe, too many) when I visit European gardens! After crossing the ocean and reaching those gardens, often on foot from a railroad station, I don't want to miss anything and put my nose to the every corner! I regret that I didn't visit Kiftsgate Gardens - usually, I spend several hours in one garden and then try to return to London before dinner time. Plus, my time in London is always limited. I hope to visit it during my next European trip!
      I used to blog on regular basis, but do it only occasionally now. My favorite posts are those about the gardens of the world that I visited, for the same reason that you mentioned - lots of pictures showing almost all the gardens'corners. I will visit your blog and I'm looking forward to exploring it! Thanks again and have a happy and healthy August!

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  6. Fabulous garden, those are just stunning images!

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for stopping by and for your comment! I appreciate your time! See you soon on your blog!

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